In the new year, I’ll be saying goodbye to my rowhouse of eight years and moving into a top floor.
While I enjoy living in a well-insulated, mold-free house, I lose access to an outdoor tap. This poses a dilemma for me as a year-round cyclist – how can I easily keep my fleet of bikes clean?
Unwilling to carry buckets up and down the stairs, I decided that a portable cordless pressure washer stored in my tiny garage would be the best solution.
Portable jet washers use less water than my sloppy sponge cleaning. If you’re lazy like me, they’re also more efficient.
So I set out to find a cheap pressure washer – and what better time to look for a deal than during a Black Friday sale.
First up was the Karcher OC 3, a cute little Squirtle pressure washer that we awarded 4 stars in 2018.
Although this review is a long time old, the washer remains unchanged to this day, with a 15-minute run time and a 4-liter water tank capacity.
The internal battery means you can’t charge it for long rides, but it should be fine for washing a bike or two after a ride.
Karcher is pretty tight on its pricing, so the OC 3 is available for £99.99 from basically every stockist, including Amazon and Halfords.
Worx is offering its full cordless pressure washer kit, which includes a spare battery, brush, snow foam kit and more, for a massive 40% discount on Amazon.
Considering the full kit costs only around £15 more than the Hydroshot on its own with one battery, you’d be foolish not to go for the full kit, like a grimy car wash brush.
It’s not a product we’ve reviewed, but the Ryobi 18V ONE+ Pressure Washer (what a mouthful) comes from a well-respected brand and has great reviews from users.
It’s in a similar format to the Worx, although the base kit from Ryobi Direct is a less generous £119.99 – a £40 saving on the RRP.
Atlas Refurb and Repair, this refurbishment kit is a steal at £89.99. It comes with a 12-month warranty and is better for the environment than buying new.
Launched earlier this year, Muc-Off’s mobile pressure washer kit is now down to £187.50, a 25% saving on the RRP.
The kit includes a bunch of spray guns and a spare battery. The 20-litre capacity is very tempting, and I don’t have to go up and down stairs to refill it in the future.
I tested the Bosch Fontus in 2020. While I liked its overall styling and the accessories that came with it, the hose connection on the front was a bit old-school and broke after about three months of use. If I were a consumer, Bosch would have replaced it under warranty.
As such, I’m cautiously recommending this washer. At £182.60 it’s a reasonable price, but a Worx or Karcher would probably be safer (and cheaper).
However, if you’re already fully committed to Bosch’s 18V batteries, this might be a good choice. Be careful with the hoses though.
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